9/11: The Day as it Was, 8 Years Ago

Being born in 1966 means that many wonderful, strange and even sad memories are locked away in the confines and cortex of my brain. For instance, I can remember being in a play pen in July of 1969 watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I remember Apollo 13, the resignation of Nixon and the Fall of Saigon. I also remember the shuttle exploding when when I was a senior in High School. That same year as a freshman in college, I remember the utter disbelief as a ball went through the legs of Bill Buckner, Red Sox first baseman, causing the World Series to be over.

In all seriousness though, the saddest memory I have in my lifetime thus far, is September 11, 2001.

The day started out like every other day. My wife had left for work. I was in between jobs, so I made myself useful by working on our newly purchased home. I was also busy with training our 9 week old puppy. At roughly 0850, as I was listening to NECN news, I heard that American Airlines flight 11 had crashed into the first world trade center tower. "What a tragedy", I thought, knowing it would be a miracle if any passenger survived. I continued about my business of laying a tile floor in our foyer.

Then about 20 minutes later, around 0910, it happened again. On live shot of the first tower that was hit, United Airlines flight 175 broadsided the second tower. My immediate though was "what the (insert expletive)", as this was not an accident. Well my anger soon turned to fear, as 9 members of my ex-wife's' family had an import export business on the 87th floor of the second tower. A cousin of mine was a powerful media executive in the same tower. Another cousin was at Prudential's NYC HQ, again, in an upper floor of tower 2.

As i was making phone calls to verify the safety of the eleven people I knew, disbelief struck a third time. At roughly 0940, American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the pentagon, the heart of our military.

Not only did I now know this was no accident, but in my heart, I also knew it was an act of terrorism whose perpetrators came from abroad.

Through out this whole time, I was of and on the phone with my wife; both of us were in complete shock. I was still on the phone with family and friends as well, trying to trace the whereabouts of the eleven people in my life that were in and around the towers.

Just before 1000, I watched with horror, as tower two imploded, collapsing on itself. Every emotion came out. I was in tears, just hoping that some one survived, and then angry at myself for just worrying about my family and friends.

I hoped the worst was over, but it was not. A few minutes later, United 93 crashed in a rural area of Shanksville PA. This plane was, in theory destined for the Whitehouse. However, due to a few hero's in our midst, the plane was diverted and brought down in an area where the only casualties were the passengers and crew, instead of our then Commander and Chief, George W. Bush.

Then tragedy struck again. Just before 1030, at 1028, the second tower imploded and collapsed. All tolled, some 3000 souls were lost that day.

I had simply prayed now to let it be over. All planes and non military air traffic were now grounded. It was time to start the healing process. For this, like Pearl Harbor to our parents and grandparents, was our day of infamy.

On this 8th anniversary, lets never forget those who died at the hands of these murderers, and rejoice in the fact that we have great men and women fighting for and protecting our freedom.